How to strengthen your knees when you have arthritis?

December 6, 20191

As
you get older, several diseases await to make an attack on you.
Arthritis is one of those diseases which attack many people in the
old age, though, it attacks younger ones too. It deprives them of
their ability to perform the regular day-to-day activities. Arthritis
is an inflammation of joints which causes stiffness and pain.

It
attacks the joints but most commonly knee. Knees and hips are the
most attacked joints and hinders you in doing regular activities. The
most common types of arthritis which affect the knees are rheumatoid
arthritis, osteoarthritis and posttraumatic arthritis.

What
are the treatment options?

It
is an incurable disease and will not go away but will only increase
with your age. The physical activities only increase the pain.
Doctors will recommend medication for pain relief which will keep you
active. With time, people are looking for natural remedies than pain
killers which relieve the pain for the time being. The more
medication you take, the more there is the risk of side effects, no
matter how good the medication is.

The several other ways which will strengthen your knees are listed below:

1. Acupuncture

Studies have proved that acupuncture have helped several patients over the years in arthritis pain. It is a branch of Chinese medicine and has proven itself very helpful for several conditions including osteoarthritis. Electro-acupuncture is a new technique which helps specifically in knee arthritis.

2. Lose your weight

Arthritis pain troubles everyone but those who are obese, suffer so much more due to their weight. The weight has a direct impact on knee pain. The lose of one pound has an effect of 4 pounds of load on your knee. The continued exertion on knees can make you disable. In order to stay active and ease pain, weight loss is an effective treatment option.

3. Continuous exercise

Regular exercise can help you to ease the pain keeping your joints flexible. There are several exercises which you can do as an arthritis patient. Jogging, swimming, walking are the most common exercises recommended for osteoarthritis. Apart from these, aquatic exercises can help which are performed in shoulder-height water. Strengthening exercises are also good as they strengthen muscles and support joints.

4. Turmeric

It is a commonly used spice in countries like India and is known for its several medicinal benefits. It was used in ancient times for treating arthritis. It contains a chemical called curcumin which has anti-inflammatory properties. It claims to reduce redness, pain, inflammation, and stiffness. You can take the capsules or use it as a spice in your lunch and dinner.

5. Medication

When the pain is insufferable, you want a quick relief and medication gives you that. There are several drugs available in the market including several over-the-counter drugs. These medications can be effective but the problem with using them is side effects. A regular dosage of medication can be harmful. Your doctor needs to examine you closely and see if there is an inevitable need of medication. Else, other treatments and physical remedies should be preferred.

6. Make changes to your diet

A plate of food which contains a lot of Omega-3 fatty acids is the best medicine for treating arthritis. Some food items which are rich in fatty acids are walnuts, salmon, mackerel, caviar, anchovies, sardines, flax seeds, chia seeds, etc. Omega-3 fatty acid has anti-inflammatory properties which makes it very useful for arthritis patients. Cod liver oil is the easiest supplement of omega-3.

7. Herbal supplements

There are a number of herbal supplements available which will help to ease the arthritis pain and stiffness. Some of them are- aloe vera, boswellia, eucalyptus, cat’s claw, thunder god vine, ginger, green tea, willow bark, etc. You can use these herbs and plants in several ways to cope with the pain.

8. Physical therapy

You can take help of a physical therapist to restore the use of affected joints. The exercises will help you to improve flexibility and relieve pain. The hot and cold therapy is also very useful.

A
proper diet helps you to stay healthy. Still, if you have got knee
arthritis, it can be helped with several treatments and without using
much medication. To consult your doctor when you see some of the
symptoms will prove to be very helpful.